LAWRENCE, Kan. – A close game turned into a bit of a blowout as Kansas scored 13 consecutive points late in the fourth quarter to top Santa Clara women's basketball 80-65 Sunday afternoon.
A one-point game through three quarters, the Jayhawks (8-1) got red-hot in the fourth, going 8-for-12 from the field, 3-of-4 from downtown, and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line to win the quarter 25-11. Kansas started the period with the first seven to build an eight-point lead that would stand up.
The Broncos (5-2) battled back and consecutive baskets from Ashley Hiraki, including a 3-pointer, got Santa Clara within 67-63 at the 4:46 mark but a scoring drought of over four-and-a-half minutes followed with the Jayhawks scoring the next 13 to pull away.
The two teams had different offensive game plans on the day. Kansas used size, holding a 44-24 edge in points in the paint while shooting 51.8-percent from the field. The Broncos meanwhile tried to score from outside, attempting a program-recording-tying 39 3-pointers and connecting on 11. Overall, they shot 37.9-percent from the floor.
Kansas also did a better job of taking advantage of turnovers, outscoring Santa Clara 29-14 off miscues, despite both teams committing 15.
Ioanna Chatzileonti led the Jayhawks with 15 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Chandler Prater added 14 on 6-of-9 shooting with Taiyanna Jackson scoring 13 and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. Aniya Thomas was also in double-figures with 11 and Zakiyah Franklin dished out seven assists.
Santa Clara got a game-high 20 points and eight rebounds from Merle Wiehl who connected four times from beyond the arc. Lindsey VanAllen scored 13 with four assists and Hiraki scored eight with a career-high seven assists and five rebounds but the two went just 8-of-30 from the field and 5-of-19 from deep. Bryce Nixon also chipped in 10 points.
Kansas had the edge early in the game, scoring the first six and used another 6-0 run later in the opening quarter to get on top by seven but back-to-back three-pointers from VanAllen and Wiehl, and later Wiehl and Hiraki, gave the Broncos their first lead midway through the first.
The Jayhawks started the second half with the first eight points but Santa Clara battled back and eight in a row from Nixon, including two 3-ppinters, gave the Broncos a 49-35 lead with three-and-a-half minutes to go in the third. The period ended with Wiehl and Mia Vuksic exchanging 3-pointers to set up the decisive fourth.
NOTES
- Santa Clara is now 1-2 all-time against Kansas.
- The Broncos had 15 assists on 25 made field goals.
- The 39 3-pointers attempted tied the mark set January 8, 2006 at Portland. That time they hit a program record 18.
- Santa Clara had a 12-6 advantage on the offensive glass and a 12-5 edge in second chance points.
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